Rise From the Ashes
by AnAverageGirl15
Summary: Oliver tried to prepare them for what was coming. But he could never prepare himself for what was happening. Sequel to "These Quiet Moments". Olicity


**A/N: Here's the sequel to 'These Quiet Moments'. Get ready for a whole lot of angst. Tears will happen. You will hate me until the very end and then hate me some more for how I end this. I'm very apprehensive about this. I was debating so many times if I should just scrap this and start all over again. But my angst filled soul said no, so here you guys have it. I have to give credit to an amazing author who had this brilliant idea in one of her stories and I just think it's so like Felicity, so I used it but made it my own. Thank you _Meero94_ for the idea from your wonderful story _Open your eyes_. If you haven't read that, I say go and read it immediately. It'll make you cry, it'll make you laugh. It's just amazing. Thank you too all those on tumblr that helped and supported me as I wrote this. You guys are amazing. And a big thanks to _hopedreamlovepray _for accepting my challenge. Here's my submission. Now I want yours! ;) Enjoy my loves.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Felicity felt something warm slowly roll down her abdomen. She didn't understand. There was a sudden pressure in her chest as well. Something that was making it hard to breathe. Felicity looked down to see what it was and couldn't believe what she saw. An arrowhead was protruding out from her chest, small drops of her blood dripping to the ground beneath her. It was black. She looked up confused, not knowing how it got there, only to see Oliver screaming something at her and running toward her. But she couldn't hear anything. She knew that she should be hearing something, but she only heard a rush of sound – like the ocean during a storm – around her. Then everything started fading away.

* * *

Oliver was talking with the bouncer at the entrance of Verdant, waiting for Felicity to come. They were going to announce tonight to everyone that they were married at the fundraiser Thea was having. Oliver still wasn't sure that he agreed with the idea entirely, but Thea alone could tear down his resolve after almost a year of marriage. Felicity pointed out to him that it had been well over six months since Malcolm's threat against her life. Both he and Diggle had trained her relentlessly and she could hold her own without either of their help. She even took him down sometimes by surprise. However that didn't stop him from always being on alert, never relaxing. Because that's when you let your guard down, and when you let your guard down you could die.

Oliver saw her car in his peripheral and the smile that came with seeing her was unconsciously done. He told the bouncer to be on alert for anyone who would try to sneak in to the invite only party. Oliver turned toward her parking spot, seeing her exit her car. He was about to head toward her when Diggle came up to him. "Sir, everything is secure inside."

Oliver nodded his head, "Good." He could hear Thea behind him call out to Felicity, telling her to hurry up because she was missing out on all the fun, when he heard the whistle and he knew in his gut what was coming. And he knew he couldn't stop it for the life of him. It didn't prepare him though as he set his eyes on his wife. She was smiling at what Thea had said, waving at her to go back to the party. She was wearing a deep emerald green dress (one of his favorites). Then he saw her jerk forward slightly. He heard Thea scream behind him in horror as he yelled out her name, "Felicity!" After that he was on the move. He saw her look down at her chest and then she looked back up at him confused. He yelled one more time, more desperately, "Felicity."

Oliver heard gunshots being fired, probably Diggle trying to get Malcolm – because Oliver knew it was him. However, he knew it was pointless, he was hidden somewhere in the shadows making sure no one would find him. Oliver saw Felicity sway slightly as she started to fall. He caught her midway through her fall, sliding down the rest of the way, cushioning the impact. He looked down at the arrow and knew that it wasn't good. Malcolm had kept his promise to him. His wife was going to die in his arms. Oliver couldn't help the half-sob that came from him as he looked back at her face. She was looking around, confusion clearly on her face. He cupped her face with his free hand, drawing her attention to him. And the look she gave him made him break inside. The confusion cleared away and trust filled her eyes. She trusted him so much. "Oliver."

Oliver felt his tears forming as he looked down at her, knowing what was coming. "I've got you. You're going to be fine. Okay. You're going to be _fine_."

Diggle came up to them then, wrapping his suit jacket around the arrow sticking out of her chest, trying to staunch the bleeding. "The ambulance is on the way. ETA two minutes."

Felicity looked at Diggle confused, wondering where he had come from. "Digg?"

Diggle's jaw clenched as he looked down at her. "Help is on the way. Don't worry."

Felicity smiled slightly and shook her head as she mumbled, "Not worried, you guys are here."

Oliver couldn't hold back the tears as the slid down his face. "Yeah, we're here. You just gotta stay with us, okay?"

Felicity was looking back at him, her eyes blinking slowly, sluggishly. "Okay, Ollie." But he could see the fight leaving her. He could feel her slipping away. She brought her hand slowly to wrap around his wrist, her fingers finding his pulse (a habit of hers that started after one of his more intense missions). She blinked one more time, her blue eyes clouding slowly as she whispered, "I love you."

Oliver clenched his jaw, his fingers threading through her hair as he whispered back, "I love you too, so goddamn much. Just keep those beautiful eyes open for me. Keep them open." As he said it though, he felt her grip loosen on his wrist as her eyes slid closed. He watched her slip away from him and he couldn't stop – didn't want to stop – the sob that came from him. "Felicity. Don't leave me. Please." He brought her forehead to rest against his, Diggle letting go of his jacket. His grip tightened in her hair as he told her desperately, "I need you. I need you in my life. Don't leave me."

Diggle laid his hand on his shoulder, his voice thick with his own emotions as he said, "Oliver."

Oliver shook his head, knowing what Diggle wanted to say. But he wasn't going to accept it. Not now, not ever. He heard the screech of tires as the ambulance pulled up to them. Gently, he let her head go as he wrapped his arm under her legs. Lifting her up with him as he stood, he started to bring her to them, not wanting to waste any time. One of the EMTs just jumped out of the ambulance and looked up toward Oliver, his eyes widening at the arrow. Oliver sobbed out, "You gotta help her."

The medic motioned for him to follow him to the back and instructed him to place her on the stretcher. "Put her down on her side." And then he was rummaging through his bag, shouting at his partner to get ready to leave. He came back with a wire cutter and instructed Oliver, "Hold her still." With steady hands the medic clipped the back end of the arrow protruding from her back as close as he could to her skin before putting gauze around the rest and taping it in place. He then rolled her on her back and said to Oliver, "You can stay as long as you don't get in my way."

Oliver nodded his head at the medic, who then shouted for his partner to drive as he slammed the back doors shut. The last thing Oliver saw before the doors slammed shut was Roy holding a sobbing Thea while Diggle stood in the background looking at the puddle of blood, Felicity's blood. The medic drew Oliver's attention as he said, "Your Oliver Queen, right?"

Oliver nodded again, looking down at Felicity. "You have to save her. She can't die."

The medic started grabbing various equipment as he told him, "I'll try my damnedest, but I need you to do something for me. You see this bag in my hand, I need you to hold it just like this over her mouth and squeeze the bag every three seconds. You got it?"

After showing Oliver a few times the motion, Oliver nodded his head and took hold of the bag. The medic started up an IV quickly before cutting away after Felicity's dress as he talked to Oliver, "What's her name?"

Oliver watched as he hooked her up to a monitor as he said, "Felicity."

The medic nodded as he brought out the AED and asked, "How do you know her, Oliver?"

Oliver answered thickly, "She's my wife."

The medic stuttered in his movements before he was grabbing pads and slapping them on her chest before grabbing paddles as he told Oliver, "Okay Oliver, listen to me closely. When I say clear you bring the bag away from her face and don't touch her, okay? Once the paddles leave her, you start back up." At his quick nod, the medic charged the paddles and said, "Clear."

Oliver brought the bag up and watched as he shocked Felicity. Her body jerked slightly and then the medic was looking back at the monitors as he yelled at his partner. "How long Sam?"

Sam yelled back, "We'll be there in four, Bobby."

Bobby cursed under his breath and yelled, "Make it two and call ahead. Tell them to get a room ready for her." Sam floored it as he weaved by other cars. Oliver continued to squeeze the bag, as Bobby raised the charge. He yelled, "Clear!"

Oliver brought his hands away from her, watching again as she jerked in the stretcher. The ambulance came to a stop and doors were thrown open. Bobby pushed Oliver out of the way, taking over his job as a doctor jumped into the ambulance. She immediately got on top of the stretcher, straddling Felicity and started doing compressions as Bobby told her, "Arrow through and through. Not sure if it nicked the aorta."

They were moving out of the ambulance before Oliver knew what was happening, the doctor shouting things he couldn't understand. He followed them, holding onto her hand, willing her to fight. And then they were going through doors he couldn't follow them through. Oliver stood there numbly, looking at the closed doors in front of him. He didn't know what to think, he couldn't think. Nothing was processing properly, except for one thought. If she died, the hero in him would as well. The only thing that would live would be the darkness that she had taken away little by little in him; and it would come back in an all-consuming way. Whatever would be left of him would be darker than what had returned from that island and no one would be able to save him.

Oliver looked down at himself then, taking in his blood soaked shirt, his pants stained a dark burgundy with her blood, and his hands dried with it. He felt bile rise in his throat, but had to swallow it down as he heard Thea's broken voice call out behind him, "Ollie?" Oliver turned around, finding Thea stepping toward him – tears still falling from her eyes – as Roy and Diggle stood behind her. Thea gasped slightly at not only his clothes, but more at the raw emotion in his eyes. "Oh Ollie." And then she was hugging him, sobbing into his ruined shirt, causing something else to break in him. He wrapped his arms around her feeling nothing but emptiness. Thea tightened her hold on him as she told him, "She's a fighter, she'll make it. I know she will."

Thea pulled away from him slightly, grabbing his hands as she said, "Let's get you cleaned up and then we'll wait for the doctor." She turned to look between the two men behind her, before landing on Diggle. "Mr. Diggle?"

Diggle nodded his head as he walked toward them, "I've got him." He led Oliver toward the nearest bathroom. They didn't speak. They didn't need to. He let Oliver go in by himself, knowing that the man needed a few moments alone. Diggle could only hope that the man that came out wouldn't be the old Oliver, the Vigilante. He heard the water turn on and could imagine it being on the hottest setting possible as Oliver scrubbed at his hands, the water turning a shade of coppery-red with blood. Diggle knew there were casualties in war. He had seen his friends die in battle, but he never expected Felicity too. He knew as well as Oliver did the chances of her making it up to even surgery. Diggle felt like punching something, so he could only imagine what his friend was feeling.

Diggle straightened as he heard the bathroom door open. He looked at Oliver and couldn't tell what he saw. There was something still there that spoke of his pain. However something else was taking over that pain. Diggle didn't want to put a word to it. But he could tell that Oliver was now completely closed off, his walls back up. And he knew the Hood was back. Oliver started to walk toward the waiting area, where they had left Thea. Diggle came up beside him and told him softly, "Oliver, don't do anything stupid. Not now. You're grieving."

Oliver turned on him suddenly, his anger barely concealed, "Don't tell me what to do Diggle. And don't tell me how I'm feeling because you have no idea."

Diggle grabbed his arm, stopping him from moving. "You're right, I don't know how you feel. But I do know how it feels to lose someone you love. And I know how I feel right now. So I'm telling you to keep your head. What would Felicity want you to do?"

Oliver clenched his fist as he told him coldly, "Don't you dare bring her into this. Not now. Not ever. If you do again, I'll put an arrow in you. You got me?"

Diggle knew in that moment that Oliver was more far gone than he thought. "Yeah, I got you." Diggle followed Oliver back to the waiting room to find Detective Lance there talking to Thea.

Oliver walked up to them as Lance looked up. He finished writing what Thea had told him before he said, "Mr. Queen, I need to get your statement about what happened tonight."

Oliver nodded stiffly. "Of course you do. What do you need to know?"

Lance looked down at his notes as he said, "I just need to know what you recall from tonight."

Oliver nodded his head as he said evenly, "I remember Felicity walking toward me when I saw her body jerk forward and I saw the arrow in her. I ran over to her, catching her before she fell. Mr. Diggle had the forethought to wrap his jacket around the arrow, having already called for ambulance. I tried to keep Felicity awake for as long as possible before she stopped breathing. The medics came then and they brought us here."

Lance nodded his head and finished writing his statement down. "I'm sorry this happened to you Mr. Queen. I hope she pulls through." He turned around and was about to walk away when he stopped and looked back at Oliver, "Mr. Queen, do you remember what the arrow looked like? I only ask because the Green Arrow doesn't usually attack innocent people."

Oliver looked at him with dead eyes as he said, "I wasn't paying attention to what the arrow looked like detective, I was focused on trying to save my wife."

Lance nodded his head quickly, "Right. Of course. I'll contact you if anything comes up."

Once Lance was gone, Roy stepped toward Oliver, knowing full well who had shot Felicity. He wanted to know why Oliver didn't let the police know. "Oliver."

Oliver looked at him soullessly as he said harshly, "No." Thea looked between them confused and saw Diggle shaking his head behind Oliver, telling them silently to leave him alone. So they did. They all sat down silently, waiting for news.

* * *

It was almost four hours later that the surgeon came out for them. He motioned for everyone to sit down before he sat down on the table in front of Oliver. "Mr. Queen, I have to first tell you that your wife came in with a very serious injury. The arrow not only punctured her lung, it also nicked the major artery in the human body. She lost a substantial amount of blood. We tried everything we could to help her. Unfortunately medicine can only do so much in cases like this." He heard Thea sob in the background as he went on, "We were able to stop the bleeding and repair the vessel. But your wife is in very critical condition. The amount of time her heart wasn't beating was quite long; we can't tell how much damage was done. Right now it's a guessing game on if she'll survive the night or not. In my medical opinion it would take a miracle for her to make it through the night and if she did, she may never wake up again. I'm sorry."

Oliver looked down at the floor as he ran his hands through his hair. He felt the doctor rest his hand on his shoulder. The doctor spoke quietly, "If you want to see her, I can bring you to her." Oliver nodded his head as he wiped at his eyes. The doctor stood up and told them, "You can all come with me, but I can only allow Mr. Queen inside since she is still in the recovery room. Please follow me."

They all followed him through a long corridor and a set of double doors before stopping in front of her room. She was connected to several machines but Oliver's eyes landed on one specific one. The doctor followed his line of sight and told him, "Right now that's helping her breathe. We want her body to focus on healing itself." Oliver nodded numbly as the doctor told him, "You can go in, but only for a few minutes."

He slid the door open for Oliver, allowing him to step through before sliding it shut again. Oliver walked to her side, grabbing her hand. He leaned forward and kissed her on her forehead before he whispered, "I love you so much. I know what you want me to do, but I can't. You were the light in me Felicity. You were my guiding light. And he's going to pay for taking you away from me." He kissed her one last time before he told her, "I know you want me to be the hero you saw in me but he isn't here anymore. I'm sorry."

Oliver gently cupped her cheek, stroking it, before letting her hand slip from his. He backed away from her bed before sliding her door open and stepping out. He looked at her one last time before turning to his sister, "I want you to stay here with her. Okay?"

Thea nodded, but looked at him confused before asking, "Where are you going?"

Oliver started to walk away as he told her, "Out." Oliver would swear that Felicity knew what he was about to do and tried to stop him because at that moment her heart monitor started beeping and alarms started going off.

Nurses started to shout that she was coding and her room was being filled with doctors trying to save her. He looked back once, knowing that this was it. He heard Diggle shout his name as he turned away from her. He walked outside, finding exactly what he needed as Diggle came running out after him. Oliver hopped on the motorcycle and started to hotwire it as Diggle shouted at him, "Oliver you need to stop this! Think about what you're doing. This isn't justice, this is vengeance. You don't do this. You don't kill people in cold blood."

Oliver looked at Diggle straight in the eyes as he said, "I'm not a hero anymore." Then he peeled away from the hospital. Diggle swore under his breath before running toward his car, with Roy right behind him, both of them jumping in the car trying to prevent something that Oliver would regret later on.

* * *

Oliver skidded to a stop as he made it to Verdant. He punched in the code to the side door before slipping in and changing quickly. He already knew where Malcolm would be. Oliver slowly made his way up the steel staircase, opening the door to walk inside his club. He saw him sitting at the bar, drinking a finger of scotch. "Tell me Oliver, how do you feel now that I took away the one thing that you loved most?"

Oliver let his bow hang in his hand as he walked toward him. "You deserve to die a slow and painful death."

Malcolm chuckled lowly as he turned around. "You did the same thing to me Oliver when Tommy died."

Oliver yelled at him, "You caused Tommy's death, not me! He died because of you."

Malcolm stood up then, rage filling him, "But you didn't save him! His blood is on your head because you didn't try to save him." He chuckled darkly as he finished, "And now your beautiful wife is dead just like him all because you couldn't save her. You failed her Oliver. You let her die."

Oliver let out a roar of rage as he charged Malcolm, tackling him to the ground and punching him repeatedly. Malcolm flipped them over though and stood up, starting to kick Oliver in the ribs. Oliver grabbed one of his smaller arrows before stabbing Malcolm in the leg, rolling away from him before kicking him squarely in the chest. Malcolm landed on his back before he rolled away and behind the bar. He stood up with his bow aiming directly at Oliver. However, Oliver had his own bow trained on Malcolm.

Malcolm laughed humorlessly, "You haven't been able to beat me yet, Oliver. What makes you think this time will be any different?"

Oliver answered him darkly, "Because I have nothing to lose now." With that he let his arrow loose, dodging Malcolm's arrow easily. Taking advantage of Malcolm as he avoided his arrow, Oliver jumped over the bar, landing a solid punch in. Malcolm stumbled back, trying to gain his footing, but Oliver was relentless. He didn't pause between his punches and his kicks and not long after Malcolm was kneeling on the ground, panting heavily as Oliver put him in a chokehold.

Just as Oliver was about to snap his neck he heard three set of feet come running into the club. He expected to hear Diggle try to talk him down, which is why he was surprised when he saw Roy come into view, in his own outfit, as he trained his own bow and arrow at Oliver. "Don't do this. You're going to regret it."

Oliver shook his head as he told him darkly, "No, I won't."

Malcolm was grasping at his head, grabbing his hood, trying to get free as another figure stepped forward. Detective Lance had his gun trained on him as he said to him, "Think about what you're about to do? Are you willing to kill this man in cold blood? Are you ready to tarnish the name you created for yourself?"

Oliver shook his head as he said, "It doesn't matter anymore."

Detective Lance shouted at him as he moved in to break Malcolm's neck, "She wouldn't want you to do this. Felicity is the one that helped me see what you stood for, what you could do for this city. She helped me see the hero in you. Be that hero that she saw." Lance stepped forward, lowering his gun as he said, "Oliver, be the hero she fell in love with."

Oliver felt tears prick at his eyes as he said thickly, "That hero died with her." And with that, he snapped Malcolm's neck, letting his body fall limply to the ground.

Oliver stepped over the body, picking up his bow as he walked toward the Foundry. Diggle stopped him though, while Roy and Lance continued to stare at Malcolm in shock. "Oliver, I know you don't want to hear this now. But Felicity, she wanted me to give this to you if you ever did something like this." He handed him a small tablet. "She said it's the only thing on there. Just watch it."

Oliver took it from him without looking at him. Walking away from Diggle, he turned on the tablet, bringing light to the otherwise dark club. Seeing only one file on it, he tapped it and waited for it to load. Felicity's face filled the screen as a video came up. Her voice echoed through the room, "Hey. So if you're watching this I can only assume that I'm not there to talk to you about you just did. I could ramble on about how morbid this is, but I'm not because I know you're hurting. Although, I'm sure if I did, I could get a smile out of you." Oliver felt himself smile softly at her words. "Ah, there it is. I knew I could get you to smile. That's better. You need to smile more; you have such a handsome smile." He watched as she smiled softly before turning serious again, "But I know that you don't want to smile now. Because I know you, Oliver Queen, and I know what you're thinking. And it doesn't matter that you killed him, that doesn't change anything. You are still a hero. You are still the hero this city needs. Don't let what happen to me stop you. I know you think that I saved you from that darkness from that island. But the truth is, I just guided you. Oliver, you saved yourself. You decided to become the man you are, the hero I always saw in you. You just needed to know that someone believed in you." Oliver watched as Felicity wiped at a tear that slid down her face.

He slowly slid down the closest wall to him as he continued to watch her. "I believe in you. I will always believe in you. No matter what. You may have lost your way, but you can find it again. You just need to believe in yourself, like I do. Believe that you can rise from this because I know you can. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?" She wiped at another, taking in a deep breath. "Remember the night you proposed to me? You told me that I was your serendipity. Well, you were mine Oliver. From the moment you came to me asking for help, I knew my life would never be the same. And I wouldn't change anything that has happened in the world. Even my own death." Oliver let out a strangled sob at that. "And I know." Felicity cried softly as she went on, "I know that it hurts Ollie, and I am so sorry that you're hurting because I'm gone. But you have to remember that the time we had together – all these years of being friends, being more than friends but not quite lovers, and then finally being lovers – all of them made us stronger. We grew strong together. And not just the two of us either, but as a team too. We trust each other, we rely on each other. Digg will always be there for you and now we…you have Roy. You are a team Ollie and its okay to lean on them. Let them see what you show me all the time. Let them see that you are not always this strong hero. Don't hold the weight of this city on your shoulders alone. Let them take some of it. Okay?"

Oliver nodded his head as another sob escaped him, clutching the tablet a little closer to his heart. Felicity sniffled as she said thickly, "I want you to know that I know you tried your hardest to save me. Don't blame yourself for my death. You did not kill me, Oliver Queen. You didn't fail me. No, you saved me. You gave me life. You gave me everything I ever wanted and I love you so much for that. I love you. I will love you, Oliver Queen, always and forever. Goodbye."

He saw her lean forward and then the screen went black. He whispered hoarsely, "No."

Diggle, Roy, and Lance stood next to one another, watching as Oliver slowly got to his knees and bowed his head, speaking softly. Diggle heard the first few strands of what he was saying, feeling his own throat close as he tried to hold in his tears. Roy started to head toward him, but Diggle grabbed his arm and told him softly, "Don't. He's saying goodbye."

Roy looked at him confused as he asked quietly, "How?"

Diggle remembered distinctly how he had found Oliver in the remains of CNRI praying over Tommy. He told Roy, "He's praying for her." He looked at both Roy and Lance as he said, "He did the same thing after Tommy died in front of him."

They continued to watch as he prayed until Roy got a text. He looked down at it and took in a sharp breath, before rereading it. He passed the phone to Diggle, who quickly read it. Not knowing if it was good or bad, Diggle walked toward Oliver, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Oliver, we have to go. Thea says we have to get to the hospital."

He helped Oliver stand up, telling Roy, "Grab some clothes from downstairs and meet me at the car. We need to hurry." Roy nodded his head, before taking off toward the Foundry. Diggle looked at Lance before saying, "I…"

Lance raised his hand to stop him. "I've had my suspicions for a lot longer than I'd like to admit. I'll take care of this. You just get him to the hospital where he belongs. Don't worry, you're secret is safe with me."

Diggle nodded his thanks as he guided Oliver to his car, where Roy was already standing at. Diggle pushed Oliver into the back before telling Roy to sit in front with him. As he got in the driver's seat, he told Oliver, "You need to change before we get there Oliver. You can't show up in your hood."

Oliver nodded his head, not knowing what to say anymore. Felicity's words were on a constant loop in his head, telling him that he was still a hero. He slowly changed out of his gear into some cargo pants and a plain t-shirt. Diggle parked the car illegally, but Oliver didn't even wait for the car to come to a complete stop before he was out the door, praying that he could make it to tell her goodbye properly, running toward her room, only to find it empty. He was too late. Diggle and Roy came up behind him, panting from the run, but as both of them looked at her room their hearts sank. They had thought that she would still be alive. That she would have pulled through.

The three of them stood there silently for a few more moments before they heard Thea's voice crack as she said, "Ollie?"

* * *

Oliver stood in front of the tombstone, looking down at the flowers he had just placed there. It had been three weeks since his world came unraveled in front of him. He still had nightmares almost every night. Seeing her die in his arms every night, reliving those last moments. Even now it brought a pressure to his chest as his throat closed up on him, heavy with emotion.

Oliver knelt down, placing his hand on the cold granite stone. "I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me, but I had to do it. For both of you. He took so much good away from this world. I couldn't let him take anything else."

He stayed kneeling like that for a few more moments, remembering everyone he had lost through his years, beginning with his father. He let his hand rest against the name on the stone, letting the cold seep into his hand, before he stood up. He felt her hand slip into his, her warmth wrapping around him, reaching his heart. Their fingers intertwined as he silently said goodbye.

Felicity spoke softly as she said, "He would be proud of the man you are Oliver. Just like I am." Oliver turned so they were facing each other, her smile bringing a little more light back into him. He wrapped one hand around her neck, kissing her softly. He still remembers the fear that had clenched his heart when Thea called out his name in the hospital, for her to only tell him with a smile that Felicity was asking for him.

Oliver pulled away from her slowly, leaning his forehead against hers. "What did I do to deserve you?"

Felicity wrapped her hand around his wrist, his pulse under her fingers, kissing him softly again. "You let me see the real you." She didn't say it but he knew she was thinking it. _The hero inside of you._ As they started to walk away from the tombstone, Oliver knew that they had a long road ahead of them. There would be more close calls, more on his end than on hers. They would argue and fight, love and be loved. They wouldn't have each other forever. But now that he had a second chance with her, he would savor each second like it was their last together. He would be the hero she saw in him, now and forever, until his last breath. Oliver wrapped his arm around her, drawing her close to him as they started to walk toward Diggle and their waiting car.

The tombstone grew smaller the farther they went, but the memory of the man would always be part of them. The words written on it, remaining true forever:

_Tommy Merlyn. A loving son, friend, and brother. A real hero._

**A/N2: I went there. I did it. Let's all cry over the fact that Tommy is gone. My soul is crushed. My heart is forever broken. He was a real hero.**


End file.
